Every late delivery or missing package is an inconvenience. Not just for the customer but more for the business. When a package arrives late, is damaged, or goes missing during transit, customers don’t blame the carrier. They will blame you.
And the next thing you know, the frustration translates into negative reviews, refund requests, and potential churn. According to an SMB Shipping Pulse Check survey, 71% of customers contacted customer service for shipping issues, of which 39% were related to late deliveries.
But here’s the thing. Sometimes, delivery issues are inevitable. The good news is that most top shipping carriers, like Canada Post, offer money-back guarantees for failed deliveries on select services.
So, if you’re dealing with Canada Post’s failed delivery service, you might be eligible for a service failure claim. Understanding how to navigate Canada Post’s service guarantees can help you regain lost shipping costs and improve operational efficiency.
Understanding Failed Deliveries
When a carrier tries but fails to deliver a package to a customer, it accounts for a failed delivery attempt. The reasons could be many – incorrect address, operational delays from the carrier, unavailability of customers, bad weather, and so on.
But no matter the reason, it’s your e-commerce business that pays the biggest price in terms of lost customers, sunk costs, and negative customer experience. Here’s how failed deliveries lead to revenue drain for the business-
- Additional support costs: When customers inquire about a delivery failure, your team spends time responding, tracking, and resolving complaints. Multiply that by hundreds of orders, and it’s a hidden operational expense.
- Refunds and reshipments: Whenever there’s a delivery failure, customers will immediately request a refund or demand a replacement, leading to double shipping costs.
- Lost customer lifetime value (LTV): A single failed delivery can make a loyal customer rethink their next purchase. This is the case with 98.1% of e-commerce customers, who say that their delivery experience impacts their brand loyalty.
Fortunately, Canada Post promises service guarantees, and shippers can request a refund for eligible delivery services. But before you submit a Canada Post failed delivery claim, let’s understand more about Canada Post failed deliveries and refund options.
Statistics on Canada Post Deliveries
Canada Post is one of the topmost postal operators in Canada, offering extensive coverage, affordable rates, and reliable delivery services. With a well-established infrastructure and a vast network of over 6,000 post offices, it remains a trusted shipping partner for many businesses and individuals.
Here are some key statistics that highlight the quality of services Canada Post has to offer-
- Canada Post has a massive delivery network of 17 million points of delivery in Canada.
- In 2022, Canada Post delivered around 286 million parcels.
- Canada Post delivered a whopping 6.58 billion mail units in 2022.
- In 2023, Canada Post served over 17.4 million addresses across Canada.
- Canada Post’s Direct Marketing segment experienced robust growth. In the third quarter of 2024, revenue increased by 9.0%, with volumes rising by 22.1% compared to the same period the previous year.
Canada Post's Response to Failed Deliveries
In most cases, Canada Post aims to deliver the package within the usual delivery standard of 5 business days (across Canada) from the day of deposit.
However, if the package is delayed by at most 5 business days after the expected delivery date and hasn’t reached the customer, you can raise a ticket for late delivery or a missing package.
If a shipment under Canada Post’s On-Time Guarantee delivery service is delivered later than the published delivery standards, whether due to delayed shipment or a potentially missing package, you can claim refunds in the way of replacement services or a credit equivalent to the shipping charges.
According to Canada Post, delivery standards are the expected transit time (in business days) from the day of deposit to the delivery. In the case of Canada Post failed delivery, you can claim a refund for various service failures, including-
- Late delivery
- Lost shipment
- Void shipment (cancelled shipment)
- Damaged shipment
- Duplicate charges
- Additional fuel charges and more.
At the same time, it is important to do your due diligence before raising a ticket with Canada Post. It is possible that a delivery was attempted, but the package was left at a community mailbox, apartment mailroom, or group mailbox due to the unavailability of the customer.
Or perhaps the delivery address was incorrect, or a package was delayed by disruptions. So, as an e-commerce business, it can help to check for these issues before filing a claim.
However, if your package is delayed or missing, here’s what Canada Post’s claim process includes-
1. Eligibility criteria
Canada Post offers an On-Time Delivery Guarantee on three of its shipping services within Canada-
- Priority™
- Xpresspost™
- Expedited Parcel™
and outside Canada-
- Priority™ Worldwide
- Xpresspost™ — USA
- Xpresspost™ — International
As an e-commerce business, you can claim a refund on a Canada Post failed delivery under any of these services. However, if the items were sent to or from air stage offices (the post office whereby all mail has to be airlifted), you cannot claim a refund.
2. Timeframe for filing claims
You can easily initiate the claims process within the first 30 business days of the guaranteed delivery date.
3. Required information
If the package is eligible for a postage refund, the sender of the package can open a support ticket from Canada Post’s website and share the following details-
- The tracking number of the late package
- Name and address of the e-commerce business
- The main contact person’s name and contact information
- Name, address, and contact information of the customer
- A description of the contents of the package
4. Submission process
In case Canada Post fails to deliver, you can sign up for an account at Canada Post’s website to open a support ticket.
An investigation will be initiated, and you will receive an ‘Expected Resolution Date’ on the tracking page, where you can stay updated on the progress of your claim. This timeline will vary based on the location of the package.
However, filing and tracking a refund claim manually can be a time-consuming process. When you have a million other things to manage within your business, the last thing you want to do is drown in more paperwork for the claim procedure.
Instead, let LateShipment’s Parcel and Shipping Invoice Audit Software handle it all with ease! The AI-powered system will scan your shipping invoices to identify any eligible service failures instantly. From here, the platform will automatically submit refund claims with Canada Post for your late delivery and help you recover the postage costs easily.
Preventive Measures for Customers
While Canada Post has a robust delivery network, e-commerce businesses can take proactive steps to reduce disruptions. Some preventive measures include-
- Verify address: A significant number of delivery failures occur due to incorrect or incomplete addresses. Verifying the address by encouraging customers to confirm it at the checkout can drastically reduce late deliveries.
- Share accurate date predictions: Give accurate delivery date predictions on the product page to allow customers to plan their delivery and be available for it to reduce the chances of delivery failures. Also, share real-time order tracking details to update the customer on any delivery changes.
- Proactive communication: Effective post-purchase communication is the key to preventing failed deliveries. From confirmation messages with estimated delivery times to real-time alerts for delivery updates during transit, you can minimize issues efficiently.
This is where LateShipment’s Delivery Experience Management Software will help tackle failed delivery challenges head-on. You can automate delivery status updates, send personalized shipping notifications through multiple channels, and configure delivery estimate rules for a comprehensive customer experience.
Recommendations to Prevent Failed Deliveries with Canada Post
Even with the best of intentions and preventive measures, delivery failures can derail your operations instantly. When they do, businesses need a strategic approach to manage Canada Post failed deliveries and maintain customer trust. Here’s how:
1. Automate customer communication
Customers expect transparency. When a delivery delay happens, automated emails or SMS updates can notify them instantly, preventing frustration.
You can set up proactive customer service workflows using automated solutions like LateShipment. For example, if a package is delayed beyond a certain timeframe, send an apology email with a discount code or a reassurance message.
2. File claims efficiently
In case of delivery failures, don’t waste a second to file a claim with Canada Post. Make sure your team understands Canada Post’s claims process and files requests promptly. Late claims might be rejected, so having a structured internal process is essential.
3. Offer instant resolution options
While you’re waiting on claim redressal, give your customers options for instant resolution with self-serve returns and replacements from your e-commerce website or app.
4. Use a multi-carrier strategy
Businesses that rely solely on one carrier may face service bottlenecks. Partnering with multiple carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS can provide backup options in case of failures.
Industry Best Practices
Here are some industry best practices that can help businesses stay ahead of failed deliveries and maximize recoveries-
1. Proactive monitoring and early detection
The best way to manage delivery failures is to identify them before customers do. Businesses leveraging real-time tracking and AI-powered monitoring can detect issues early and take action.
For this, use LateShipment’s proactive monitoring to track shipments and flag delays instantly. This allows businesses to notify customers in advance, reducing support complaints. Next, set up automated alerts for delivery exceptions, such as “out for delivery but not delivered” or “in transit for too long” to keep the customers updated.
2. Streamlined claim submission process using automation
Filing claims manually can be time-consuming, and delays in submission may lead to rejected claims. Take a smarter approach to filing claims instantly with LateShipment, which identifies eligible claims and submits them on your behalf.
The system will not only check your shipping invoices for 50+ service failures but automate recovery and follow-up for seamless refunds.
3. Thorough documentation and record-keeping
When disputing a failed delivery, having proper documentation is key to hassle-free claim processes. Here, you can leverage LateShipment to automatically maintain shipment records, failure logs, and proof of delivery issues, upload them swiftly, and let automation do the rest – like submitting and following up on refund claims with Canada Post.
4. Staying updated on Canada Post Policies
Carrier policies and claim procedures change over time. A good way to manage delivery service failure with Canada Post is to stay up-to-date with their latest policies to maximize reimbursements and avoid delays.
Regularly check Canada Post’s Service Guarantee and Claims Policy for updates on refund eligibility and claim submission deadlines. To further enhance management, train customer service teams to handle Canada Post-related delivery failures, ensuring they know when and how to escalate issues.
Conclusion
Delivery failures are an unavoidable challenge in eCommerce, but they don’t have to translate into revenue loss or unhappy customers. If you’re relying on Canada Post for your shipping needs, understand their claims process to stay on top of any shipment issues and significantly reduce the impact of service failures on your customers.
And if manually managing the claims process gets too much for the teams, leverage LateShipment.com. With LateShipment.com’s Parcel and Shipping Invoice Audit Software, you can automate shipping invoice audits, service failure identification, delivery monitoring, and claim filing instantly.
But that’s not all. You no longer have to spend your time in claims redressal and follow-up either! Our team of experts has got your back!
The software integrates with several popular shipping carriers, including Canada Post, so that your refund claim process is quick, hassle-free, and streamlined.
